Antonello Da Messina: Masterpieces from Sicily museums
Sep 10, 2011 - Nov 20, 2011
Creativity of Antonello da Messina makes the 鈥渕ost convictive and organic synthesis of the elements of the Netherlandish and Italian art culture, synthesis, which can be definitively called one of the greatest achievement of Quattrocento鈥� (V.N.Lazarev).
The trip of four artworks of Antonello da Messina from Sicily to Moscow (notably three of them are shipped out from Italy for the first time!) will allow the viewer to compare Russian and Italian Culture, which are far from each other geographically, but at the meantime united by the common artistic memory about the influence of Byzantine art.
Early artworks of Antonello da Messina, which will be shown in the exhibition, can clearly reflect the signs of Byzantine inheritance in common with the Russian icons of XV-XVII centuries.
Studying the creativity of Antonello da Messina the one will surely face a question of the art influence of different cultures. In the XVth century Messina, the native town of the artist, was situated on the merchants cross-roads, connecting Eastern Mediterranean with the outskirts of the Western Europe. The artist got elementary education, as supposed, in the workshop of his father, who was stonecutter and jeweler.
Saint Augustine. Ca 1473 But little town couldn鈥檛 give a lot to a young artist. Naples made a big difference 鈥� it was a capital of the kingdom and center of the 鈥淢editerranean Renaissance鈥�, reputable place of expansion of Flemish, Spanish and French painting. The real career of Antonello started exactly in Naples in 1445-1455 at court of Alfonso of Aragon (1442-1458), who was considered cunning and crafty politician, trying to surround his throne with the halo of 鈥渆nlighten monarch鈥�.
Therefore Antonello had an opportunity to study all the nuances of the Netherladish painting, which was very popular at court, not leaving the borders of the Neapolitan Kingdom.
In 1457 or 1460 (contradictory documents appear) the artist came back to Messina, where he has founded his own workshop and was working independently. Researches suppose that Antonello da Messina could have visited Rome in that period. Remaining documents about the commisions to the artist inform as that in a period from 1460 to 1465 the he was working in his native town.
Taking into the mind that most of the works of this period are lost the two-side painting Madonna and Benedictory Child with a Venerating Franciscan with the Ecce Homo on the back side (Tempera on wood, 16x11,9cm, Regional museum Maria Accascina, Messina), represented in the exhibition, is considered on of rare early works of Antonello da Messina.
Saint Jerome. Ca 1473 Researches suppose it to be fulfilled in a period from 1465 to 1470. It鈥檚 quite possible that it was a part of a small movable altar. This work was occurred in 2003 from a private German collection and passed to the regional museum in Messina.
Three more paintings depicting St. Jerome, St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine (Tempera on canvas (doubled from wood). 39x31cm, 46,5x35,5cm, 46,5x35,5cm. Regional Gallery of Sicily Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo) were cleaned by the restorers in 1952, later painting was removed.
Together with the fourth painting (lost) they probably formed the upper range of the multipart altar 鈥� polyptych. Researches are dating these works as 1473.
Two years later Antonello da Messina arrived in Venice and the commisions he was getting confirm that he was already a known artist whose work was well valued.
After his acquaintance with Andrea de Mantegna, Pietro della Francesca the pictorial language of Antonello becomes more monumental, generalized.
Ecce Homo. 1460鈥�1465 From the other side, it is considered that Antonello da Messina was exactly the one who influenced North-Italian painters, in particular Giovanni Bellini, having demonstrated the opportunities of the oil technique depicting light and air and delicate color correlations, very important for the Venetian painting.
In September 1476 the artist returned to Messina to stay there for all the rest of his life, fulfilling commissions up to his death in 1479.
In spite of his short life he managed to absorb and organically convert the most contradictory ideological and artistic movements of his time: the world of 鈥渦nlimitedly small scales鈥� of the Netherlanders and calm monumental language of Pietro della Francesca and perspective searchings of Mantegna.
The exhibition, organized in the frames of the Year of two-side cultural collaboration of Russia and Italy 2011 is prepared by Italian researches together with the staff of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Catalogue of the exhibition, not big, but very informative, can become a purpose for a more deep study of multifaceted and mysterious personality of the artist.
The trip of four artworks of Antonello da Messina from Sicily to Moscow (notably three of them are shipped out from Italy for the first time!) will allow the viewer to compare Russian and Italian Culture, which are far from each other geographically, but at the meantime united by the common artistic memory about the influence of Byzantine art.
Early artworks of Antonello da Messina, which will be shown in the exhibition, can clearly reflect the signs of Byzantine inheritance in common with the Russian icons of XV-XVII centuries.
Studying the creativity of Antonello da Messina the one will surely face a question of the art influence of different cultures. In the XVth century Messina, the native town of the artist, was situated on the merchants cross-roads, connecting Eastern Mediterranean with the outskirts of the Western Europe. The artist got elementary education, as supposed, in the workshop of his father, who was stonecutter and jeweler.
Saint Augustine. Ca 1473 But little town couldn鈥檛 give a lot to a young artist. Naples made a big difference 鈥� it was a capital of the kingdom and center of the 鈥淢editerranean Renaissance鈥�, reputable place of expansion of Flemish, Spanish and French painting. The real career of Antonello started exactly in Naples in 1445-1455 at court of Alfonso of Aragon (1442-1458), who was considered cunning and crafty politician, trying to surround his throne with the halo of 鈥渆nlighten monarch鈥�.
Therefore Antonello had an opportunity to study all the nuances of the Netherladish painting, which was very popular at court, not leaving the borders of the Neapolitan Kingdom.
In 1457 or 1460 (contradictory documents appear) the artist came back to Messina, where he has founded his own workshop and was working independently. Researches suppose that Antonello da Messina could have visited Rome in that period. Remaining documents about the commisions to the artist inform as that in a period from 1460 to 1465 the he was working in his native town.
Taking into the mind that most of the works of this period are lost the two-side painting Madonna and Benedictory Child with a Venerating Franciscan with the Ecce Homo on the back side (Tempera on wood, 16x11,9cm, Regional museum Maria Accascina, Messina), represented in the exhibition, is considered on of rare early works of Antonello da Messina.
Saint Jerome. Ca 1473 Researches suppose it to be fulfilled in a period from 1465 to 1470. It鈥檚 quite possible that it was a part of a small movable altar. This work was occurred in 2003 from a private German collection and passed to the regional museum in Messina.
Three more paintings depicting St. Jerome, St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine (Tempera on canvas (doubled from wood). 39x31cm, 46,5x35,5cm, 46,5x35,5cm. Regional Gallery of Sicily Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo) were cleaned by the restorers in 1952, later painting was removed.
Together with the fourth painting (lost) they probably formed the upper range of the multipart altar 鈥� polyptych. Researches are dating these works as 1473.
Two years later Antonello da Messina arrived in Venice and the commisions he was getting confirm that he was already a known artist whose work was well valued.
After his acquaintance with Andrea de Mantegna, Pietro della Francesca the pictorial language of Antonello becomes more monumental, generalized.
Ecce Homo. 1460鈥�1465 From the other side, it is considered that Antonello da Messina was exactly the one who influenced North-Italian painters, in particular Giovanni Bellini, having demonstrated the opportunities of the oil technique depicting light and air and delicate color correlations, very important for the Venetian painting.
In September 1476 the artist returned to Messina to stay there for all the rest of his life, fulfilling commissions up to his death in 1479.
In spite of his short life he managed to absorb and organically convert the most contradictory ideological and artistic movements of his time: the world of 鈥渦nlimitedly small scales鈥� of the Netherlanders and calm monumental language of Pietro della Francesca and perspective searchings of Mantegna.
The exhibition, organized in the frames of the Year of two-side cultural collaboration of Russia and Italy 2011 is prepared by Italian researches together with the staff of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Catalogue of the exhibition, not big, but very informative, can become a purpose for a more deep study of multifaceted and mysterious personality of the artist.
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Creativity of Antonello da Messina makes the 鈥渕ost convictive and organic synthesis of the elements of the Netherlandish and Italian art culture, synthesis, which can be definitively called one of the greatest achievement of Quattrocento鈥� (V.N.Lazarev).
The trip of four artworks of Antonello da Messina from Sicily to Moscow (notably three of them are shipped out from Italy for the first time!) will allow the viewer to compare Russian and Italian Culture, which are far from each other geographically, but at the meantime united by the common artistic memory about the influence of Byzantine art.
Early artworks of Antonello da Messina, which will be shown in the exhibition, can clearly reflect the signs of Byzantine inheritance in common with the Russian icons of XV-XVII centuries.
Studying the creativity of Antonello da Messina the one will surely face a question of the art influence of different cultures. In the XVth century Messina, the native town of the artist, was situated on the merchants cross-roads, connecting Eastern Mediterranean with the outskirts of the Western Europe. The artist got elementary education, as supposed, in the workshop of his father, who was stonecutter and jeweler.
Saint Augustine. Ca 1473 But little town couldn鈥檛 give a lot to a young artist. Naples made a big difference 鈥� it was a capital of the kingdom and center of the 鈥淢editerranean Renaissance鈥�, reputable place of expansion of Flemish, Spanish and French painting. The real career of Antonello started exactly in Naples in 1445-1455 at court of Alfonso of Aragon (1442-1458), who was considered cunning and crafty politician, trying to surround his throne with the halo of 鈥渆nlighten monarch鈥�.
Therefore Antonello had an opportunity to study all the nuances of the Netherladish painting, which was very popular at court, not leaving the borders of the Neapolitan Kingdom.
In 1457 or 1460 (contradictory documents appear) the artist came back to Messina, where he has founded his own workshop and was working independently. Researches suppose that Antonello da Messina could have visited Rome in that period. Remaining documents about the commisions to the artist inform as that in a period from 1460 to 1465 the he was working in his native town.
Taking into the mind that most of the works of this period are lost the two-side painting Madonna and Benedictory Child with a Venerating Franciscan with the Ecce Homo on the back side (Tempera on wood, 16x11,9cm, Regional museum Maria Accascina, Messina), represented in the exhibition, is considered on of rare early works of Antonello da Messina.
Saint Jerome. Ca 1473 Researches suppose it to be fulfilled in a period from 1465 to 1470. It鈥檚 quite possible that it was a part of a small movable altar. This work was occurred in 2003 from a private German collection and passed to the regional museum in Messina.
Three more paintings depicting St. Jerome, St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine (Tempera on canvas (doubled from wood). 39x31cm, 46,5x35,5cm, 46,5x35,5cm. Regional Gallery of Sicily Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo) were cleaned by the restorers in 1952, later painting was removed.
Together with the fourth painting (lost) they probably formed the upper range of the multipart altar 鈥� polyptych. Researches are dating these works as 1473.
Two years later Antonello da Messina arrived in Venice and the commisions he was getting confirm that he was already a known artist whose work was well valued.
After his acquaintance with Andrea de Mantegna, Pietro della Francesca the pictorial language of Antonello becomes more monumental, generalized.
Ecce Homo. 1460鈥�1465 From the other side, it is considered that Antonello da Messina was exactly the one who influenced North-Italian painters, in particular Giovanni Bellini, having demonstrated the opportunities of the oil technique depicting light and air and delicate color correlations, very important for the Venetian painting.
In September 1476 the artist returned to Messina to stay there for all the rest of his life, fulfilling commissions up to his death in 1479.
In spite of his short life he managed to absorb and organically convert the most contradictory ideological and artistic movements of his time: the world of 鈥渦nlimitedly small scales鈥� of the Netherlanders and calm monumental language of Pietro della Francesca and perspective searchings of Mantegna.
The exhibition, organized in the frames of the Year of two-side cultural collaboration of Russia and Italy 2011 is prepared by Italian researches together with the staff of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Catalogue of the exhibition, not big, but very informative, can become a purpose for a more deep study of multifaceted and mysterious personality of the artist.
The trip of four artworks of Antonello da Messina from Sicily to Moscow (notably three of them are shipped out from Italy for the first time!) will allow the viewer to compare Russian and Italian Culture, which are far from each other geographically, but at the meantime united by the common artistic memory about the influence of Byzantine art.
Early artworks of Antonello da Messina, which will be shown in the exhibition, can clearly reflect the signs of Byzantine inheritance in common with the Russian icons of XV-XVII centuries.
Studying the creativity of Antonello da Messina the one will surely face a question of the art influence of different cultures. In the XVth century Messina, the native town of the artist, was situated on the merchants cross-roads, connecting Eastern Mediterranean with the outskirts of the Western Europe. The artist got elementary education, as supposed, in the workshop of his father, who was stonecutter and jeweler.
Saint Augustine. Ca 1473 But little town couldn鈥檛 give a lot to a young artist. Naples made a big difference 鈥� it was a capital of the kingdom and center of the 鈥淢editerranean Renaissance鈥�, reputable place of expansion of Flemish, Spanish and French painting. The real career of Antonello started exactly in Naples in 1445-1455 at court of Alfonso of Aragon (1442-1458), who was considered cunning and crafty politician, trying to surround his throne with the halo of 鈥渆nlighten monarch鈥�.
Therefore Antonello had an opportunity to study all the nuances of the Netherladish painting, which was very popular at court, not leaving the borders of the Neapolitan Kingdom.
In 1457 or 1460 (contradictory documents appear) the artist came back to Messina, where he has founded his own workshop and was working independently. Researches suppose that Antonello da Messina could have visited Rome in that period. Remaining documents about the commisions to the artist inform as that in a period from 1460 to 1465 the he was working in his native town.
Taking into the mind that most of the works of this period are lost the two-side painting Madonna and Benedictory Child with a Venerating Franciscan with the Ecce Homo on the back side (Tempera on wood, 16x11,9cm, Regional museum Maria Accascina, Messina), represented in the exhibition, is considered on of rare early works of Antonello da Messina.
Saint Jerome. Ca 1473 Researches suppose it to be fulfilled in a period from 1465 to 1470. It鈥檚 quite possible that it was a part of a small movable altar. This work was occurred in 2003 from a private German collection and passed to the regional museum in Messina.
Three more paintings depicting St. Jerome, St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine (Tempera on canvas (doubled from wood). 39x31cm, 46,5x35,5cm, 46,5x35,5cm. Regional Gallery of Sicily Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo) were cleaned by the restorers in 1952, later painting was removed.
Together with the fourth painting (lost) they probably formed the upper range of the multipart altar 鈥� polyptych. Researches are dating these works as 1473.
Two years later Antonello da Messina arrived in Venice and the commisions he was getting confirm that he was already a known artist whose work was well valued.
After his acquaintance with Andrea de Mantegna, Pietro della Francesca the pictorial language of Antonello becomes more monumental, generalized.
Ecce Homo. 1460鈥�1465 From the other side, it is considered that Antonello da Messina was exactly the one who influenced North-Italian painters, in particular Giovanni Bellini, having demonstrated the opportunities of the oil technique depicting light and air and delicate color correlations, very important for the Venetian painting.
In September 1476 the artist returned to Messina to stay there for all the rest of his life, fulfilling commissions up to his death in 1479.
In spite of his short life he managed to absorb and organically convert the most contradictory ideological and artistic movements of his time: the world of 鈥渦nlimitedly small scales鈥� of the Netherlanders and calm monumental language of Pietro della Francesca and perspective searchings of Mantegna.
The exhibition, organized in the frames of the Year of two-side cultural collaboration of Russia and Italy 2011 is prepared by Italian researches together with the staff of the Tretyakov Gallery.
Catalogue of the exhibition, not big, but very informative, can become a purpose for a more deep study of multifaceted and mysterious personality of the artist.
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